The astonishing story of how a soldier stood on a bomb to save his comrades and recovered enough to go on to play professional football has emerged after his medals were sold.

Lance Corporal James Collins was advised to have his lower right leg amputated after being seriously injured in the blast in the trenches on the Western Front.

But the talented footballer refused to allow medics to remove the limb and instead underwent 14 operations over the next two years to save his foot.

After recovering and with his foot still riddled with shrapnel, he signed for Swansea City FC and went on to play for the Welsh club for 15 years, rising to captain.

He was awarded the Albert Medal for his heroics while serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps on November 11, 1917.

By treading on the live grenade, the First World War soldier saved the lives of two colleagues who escaped the explosion unscathed.

The rare medal, which was replaced by the George Medal and is the civilian version to the Victoria Cross, has now been sold at auction for nearly £22,000.

King George V presented L/Cpl Collins with the medal at Buckingham Palace.

To read the complete article, see:Rare medal sale reveals story of soldier who became professional footballer after standing on bomb to save comrades(www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/world-war-i-rare-medal-3470869)